Home Sweet Home
by The Teal Dragon
Summary: What happens during and after the final scene in Season 2 episode 23 "Home." Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcome!


Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World or any of the characters.

A/N: Hello, readers! This fic is based on insight into the last scene in the final episode of Season 2. I also added some extra scenes, including Jon's conversations with Chet, the Matthews, and Feeny regarding Shawn coming to live with him. I couldn't be the only one wondering about those interactions. Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcome!

Jonathan Turner rapped his knuckles on the back door of the Matthews' residence, glancing through the glass window to make sure he was welcome before walking inside. Shawn Hunter followed close behind, shutting the door behind him. The serious atmosphere in the kitchen was suffocating, and Shawn immediately had to fight the urge to turn right back around.

"Jonathan," Alan Matthews greeted Jon coolly, his irritation with the seventh-grade boys evident. "Thank you for the phone call. Let us know what's going on in our own house." He and his wife Amy turned to stare pointedly at their son, and Shawn's best friend, Cory Matthews. They were clearly disappointed, and Cory was a little irritated.

Cory crossed the kitchen quickly to get to Shawn. "Hey, where were you last night?!" Cory hissed.

"I was at Turner's. Would you relax?" Shawn whispered back, irritated by Cory's incessant worrying. Lately, Cory had become way too concerned about the way Shawn's life was going. Shawn appreciated the sentiment, but he could take care of himself. In fact, he had done so for his whole life.

"Cory and Shawn, upstairs – now!" Amy Matthews spoke sternly, sitting down at the old wooden kitchen table. Cory and Shawn headed upstairs as the men gathered at the table with her.

Shawn stopped right around the corner and pressed up against the wall to eavesdrop. "What are you doing?" Cory asked his best friend in an angry whisper. Shawn shushed him, straining to hear the conversation. Cory gave up and walked to the room he shared with his older brother and Shawn.

"First Shawn sneaks out, now Cory's lying to us. When I told Chet I'd take Shawn in, I didn't mean forever." Alan said, obviously quite frustrated with the situation.

Shawn swallowed hard. No one wanted him forever. God, he didn't even last a month without getting on the Matthews' last nerves. What kind of useless crap was he? His own parents left him, the people he was closest to were so fed up with him they might kick him out. Maybe if he wasn't such a screw-up, things would be different.

Poor kid, thought Jon. He was frustrated, as well; and pissed off, too. "When's the last time anybody heard from him?" He tried to keep his anger with Chet out his voice, but he only partially succeeded.

"When he backed out the driveway, hit our trash can, and said, 'It's okay, I'm alright.'" Alan mimicked the large man.

Eric Matthews, the oldest Matthews boy, came in and asked for the weed whacker for the yard work that he was doing at Feeny's next door. Apparently, he was paying Eric with SAT prep secrets. Jon was willing to bet that Feeny was enjoying himself relaxing while he tricked Eric into free labor.

When Eric was called from the kitchen by Feeny, Jon continued. "You know, it's not that Shawn is actually a bad kid, y'know." Jon spoke out, trying to get the Matthews to be more patient with the kid. He was cut off by the telephone ringing loudly.

"Machine will get it. Go on." Alan Matthews told Jon, crossing the kitchen to put his cup in the dishwasher.

"I know how easy it is to act up when your family just isn't there for you." Jon told them.

When did Turner become my defense attorney? Shawn wondered, smiling slightly at the thought.

The machine beeped. "Amy, Alan? Chet Hunter here. Was that the beep, or is this thing tapped?" Shawn's father's loud voice rang out. Amy jumped up to get the phone before he could hang up.

Shawn's eyes lit up and he grinned widely. His father was on the phone! He had promised Shawn before he left that he'd call every night, but Shawn wasn't expecting him to call for a few weeks or so. That was usually how long his parents disappeared and left him alone for. But his dad was going to come pick him up now, and everything would be okay.

"Wait, Chet, wait, wait! Hi. It's Amy." She told him.

"Oh. Hey, you sound out of breath there, dear. Did I…interrupt something?" Chet asked suggestively. Shawn grinned, but the adults in the kitchen rolled their eyes at the man's immaturity.

Alan spoke up. "Listen, Chet, where are you? It's been three weeks."

"Well, if the license tags are any indication, I'm either, uhh…leaving Ohio or coming into Georgia." He replied. Shawn's heart sank to his stomach. Jon clenched his fists.

"Well, that doesn't sound anywhere near Philadelphia." Alan said, fighting to keep the anger out his voice.

"No, it's…uhh…Ew. Road kill. Porcupine. Now, how'd he not see that coming?" Chet's train of thought seemed to trail off.

Amy's frustration kicked in as she asked, "Chet, have you found your wife yet?"

"Nope." Chet replied. "But I found the motor home, though. Seems like my Virna traded it in on a '92 Miata. Nice car, but I don't think three people can live in it." Shawn swallowed hard. It didn't sound like his mom was coming back.

Amy sighed. Alan's anger at Chet flared up, and showed in his voice clearly. "Listen, Chet, don't you think it's time you came back here; took some responsibility for your son?"

"Well, I wish I could, but unfortunately, I don't think I'm gonna be too much good to anybody 'till I find my Virna and win her back." Chet answered. Shawn's hopes were crushed. He stood up, fighting back tears.

Jon clenched his fists. Chet Hunter could come back anytime he pleased. He just thought that this woman was more important than his own son.

"Chet, Shawn is…having a very hard time." Alan explained. "And besides, we've got three kids of our own." Shawn tried not to be jealous, but he was. He was just second best to them. They had their own kids.

Amy shook her head and raised her hands to stop him. "Alan. We'll manage." She said softly.

Alan kept going on, ignoring Amy. "I don't think it's fair to Shawn or to us to live with this kind of open-ended commitment."

"Look, Al, the boy needs somebody, okay? Now don't hang me up here." Chet's voice was harsher than before.

Jon blinked hard. He thought about what he was going to tell the Matthews earlier, about maybe taking Shawn in himself. He wondered how Shawn would react to the idea. What Chet and the Matthews and Feeny would think. But then he realized that the only thing that mattered was that Shawn was safe, and preferably happy. If Shawn was okay with the offer, than Jon would take him in for as long as he needed.

Alan's angry voice broke into Jon's thoughts. "If you're not coming back right now, than you be the one to tell your son!"

"Well, I just did." Chet answered.

"Huh?" Alan asked. Amy and Jon were equally confused.

"Well, if I know my boy, even money, when adults are talking about him, he's, uhh, probably somewhere behind 'em, listening...Hey there, big guy." The adults all turned to look at Shawn, who had came out of his hiding place and stood on the stairs, glaring at them all.

"None of you want me." He said quietly, sounding defeated. That didn't last long, however. His next words were laced with fury. "Well, that's fine!" he yelled. "I don't need any of you! I never needed anybody!" He turned and ran up to the room he was sharing with Cory and Eric.

"Shawn, it's not that we don't want you…"

"Shawn…"

The adults in the kitchen all turned to run upstairs after him. But Jon, thinking fast, turned around and headed out to the backyard, having already figured out what Shawn would do.

Shawn burst through the door, locking it behind him. He grabbed his bag and ran to the window, climbing out quickly. He ignored Cory frantically asking what was wrong and the Matthews trying to get in their locked bedroom. He climbed down the tree outside to find Turner at the bottom, smiling up at him.

Shawn stood there glaring at him, chest heaving as his heart and lungs caught up with his racing mind. Turner just grinned back. "Fall down a blowhole, did you?" He joked.

"I'm not in class. I don't have to listen to you." Shawn said, shoving his hair out of his eyes and jumping down from the deck.

"Where are you gonna run now?" Turner asked, his tone casual, as if he was asking about the weather.

"What do you care?" Shawn shot back angrily.

Turner replied thoughtfully, "I was beginning to think I didn't care about anything." It was true. Until he came to Philadelphia and taught this kid's class, he was only concerned for himself and his own wants and his own needs. But when Shawn came along, with his rebellious attitude and unstable home life, something was triggered in Jon. He really did care about this kid, for better or for worse.

Shawn looked at Turner for a second. Did Turner just say that he cared about me? Shawn wondered. No he's just my English teacher. He chided himself. My own parents don't even like me. "Yeah, fine, whatever. I gotta go."

"Yeah, I know; I've been there. Someone reaches out to you and says they care about you, it's easy to run." Jon called after him.

So he does care about me, Shawn thought, the realization pulling him back."Look, I'm sure you've got a lot of big emotional problems to work through here, but I just need to find a place to sleep, okay?" Shawn told him.

Well, It's now or never. "I'll do you one better. How about I give you a home?" Jon asked.

Shawn was obviously quite taken aback. "What, your place?"

"Yeah, my place." Jon repeated.

"For how long? Three weeks and then you get sick of me?" Shawn tried to keep the sadness and the pain of rejection out of his voice, but he failed.

"Oh, I'm sick of you now, Hunter, but I'm still making the offer." Jon joked, smiling at the boy.

"Why?" Shawn asked, sounding vulnerable.

He's really asking, too. Jon mused, his heart breaking a little at the thought that this great kid couldn't even see why someone might want to help him.

"'Cause I'm thinking I should do something for somebody else. I think I need that." Turner replied. They looked at each other for a minute in silence as Shawn evaluated Turner and his offer.

"You're not gonna tell me what to do." Shawn challenged.

"Somebody's gotta." The kid couldn't just raise himself. Actually, Jon got the feeling that he might have, but not anymore. He would take care of Shawn, whether the kid liked it or not.

"You're not my dad!" Shawn shot back.

"I'm not trying to be!" Jon said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Shawn waited for something to happen, for Turner to smack him for talking back or at least take back the offer. But he didn't. Instead, he said, "Look…I'm just offering you a roof, and a window to crawl out of. Although it is five stories up."

Shawn considered, and then smirked a little. "I like a challenge."

Jon smiled. "So do I." He held out his hand for Shawn to shake. After a moment, Shawn grasped it and held on for a second. That is, until Cory fell out the tree beside them.

"Oh, gosh!" Cory groaned, grabbing his ankle. They looked at him, and he gave them a thumbs up to show that he was alright.

Turner shook his head affectionately at the boys' antics. "Look, I'm gonna go square things with your dad. 'Cause that is what the responsible-adult-type would do." He grinned, amused with himself and his new position.

He entered the kitchen and headed straight for the phone. He picked up the receiver and listened to a dial tone. Chet had hung up. Jon pushed the redial button and asked the waitress who picked up the pay phone to ask if Chet Hunter was still around. By a stroke of luck, he was, and the waitress called him over.

"Hello?" Chet's voice sounded even more rough over the telephone.

"Hey, Chet? It's Jonathan Turner, Shawn's English teacher."

"Oh… Hey, Teach. Is my boy all right?" Chet asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. He's outside talking to Cory." Jon answered.

Chet was confused. "Who?" He asked.

Jon blinked in surprise. "Cory? His best friend?"

"Ohh, Corky. Okay. He's a good boy. Kinda funny looking…" His voice trailed off like his train of thought.

Jon shook his head. "Look, Chet, the Matthews' are trying their hardest to help Shawn, but I think Shawn needs some things that they can't give him, and…"

"Look, I'm not coming back anytime soon. You can't just throw my boy out on the street." Chet told him.

Jon tried not to think about Shawn living on the streets. "Chet, what I'm trying to say is that I think you should consider letting Shawn move in with me. You know, I think he needs more… individualized attention, and I can give him a safe place to be who he is. I can also try to get him to get his grades up a bit."

"Say no more. You got yourself a deal, Teach."

Jon gave him his number and address and told him that he'd take good care of Shawn. When they hung up, he heard Shawn and Cory talking in the backyard and stopped to listen.

"So…you're moving in with Turner, huh?" Cory said awkwardly.

Shawn paused. "You were listening?"

"Well, I was snagged up there for a while. Had to wait till a squirrel lost interest."

Jon shook his head. The situations Matthews got himself into...

Shawn laughed. "Yeah… You know, Cory, your folks are great and all, but…this seems right." He said thoughtfully.

Jon smiled. He thought so, too.

Just then, Amy and Alan came downstairs. "Is Shawn outside?" Alan asked, sounding tired and out of breath.

"Yeah, he's talking to Cory. Listen, guys, I've gotta tell you something. I talked to Shawn and his dad and we decided that it might be good for him to come and live with me. You guys did a great job, but I think you have your hands full with three kids, and I'm a bachelor, so I can give him more individualized attention. I can work with him one on one on schoolwork. Not to mention teach him how to just be a kid. I think he needs that. And I know I need to do something for somebody besides myself."

"Jonathan, are you sure that you can handle Shawn and his…you know, his behavior? I mean, you have no experience with raising kids, and…" Amy started. Jon held up his hand to prevent her from finishing.

"Look, I may have no experience raising kids. Shawn doesn't seem to have any experience with being raised. We'll both have to learn. But I do have experience with Shawn, and I think we have a connection. I understand where this all comes from. I want to help the kid." Jon told them.

The couple was quiet for a minute. Then Alan spoke up. "Well, if you're sure, than who are we to hold you back?"

They smiled at each other for a moment. Then little Morgan, the youngest Matthews child, called for her parents and Amy and Alan headed upstairs. Jon walked over to the back door and prepared to go tell George Feeny that he was taking Shawn in. But before he could prepare himself for the inevitable lecture, he heard the boys outside finishing their talk.

"But uh…you know know what this means, don't you? It means you're not a…not a stray anymore." Cory told Shawn.

Shawn laughed. "Yeah, so…" He paused briefly as he tried to think of how to phrase it. "So what's it like to be a housebroken dog?"

Cory smiled. "It's not so bad. I mean, you get your meals regular…" That sounds nice, Shawn thought wistfully. "…you get your own chew toy, and if you bring in the paper, they are so thrilled." Cory joked.

Shawn frowned thoughtfully. "What if I hate it?"

"I'll have my mom and dad put in a doggy door for you." Cory answered, smiling.

Shawn smiled back. "Just leave a window open."

"You got it."

Jonathan smiled, listening to them. He didn't know what all the dog analogies were for, but one thing was for sure…Shawn was definitely not a stray anymore.

He stepped outside and cleared his throat. "Hey, Hunter, I'm gonna go talk to Feeny for a while. You good here?" He asked. Shawn nodded, so Jon walked across the backyard and knocked on the back door of Feeny's house. Feeny opened the door a minute later.

"Jonathan." George Feeny greeted. "How are you this fine afternoon?"

"I'm doing good, George. How are you doing?"

"I am quite well, thank you. What brings you over to the Matthews' today?" Before Jon could answer, Feeny answered his own question. "Perhaps the Hunter boy?"

"Yes, actually. Shawn showed up at my apartment last night. I brought him back this morning. Look, George, I need to tell you something."

"If this is you informing me that our Mr. Hunter is moving in with you, then you can save your breath, Jonathan."

Jon stared at him in disbelief. He and Eric had been inside when he invited Shawn to live with him. How did he find out? "Do you just know everything, all the time?" He asked the older man.

George shook his head. "No, I do not know everything. But I know how much you care for the boy. The Matthews are obviously running out of patience with him, and with your tendency to get involved in students' personal affairs, I figured it was only a matter of time before you took matters into your own hands."

Jon sighed. "Look, George, I know you disapprove of this. But it's something Shawn needs, and it's something I think I need, too."

"Jonathan, I've warned you about blurring the lines of your teacher-student relationships many times. There's nothing more I can say or do to convince you. I now see that you will follow your heart before you listen to my words. I must respect both you and your decisions. You have my blessing."

Jon smiled. "Thanks."

"Mr. Hunter?" Mr. Feeny called over to Shawn.

"Yeah?" Shawn replied.

"Good luck."

"Thanks, Mr. Feeny." He responded.

They might need a little luck. But the best results in any relationship come from hard work and caring for each other. They both would do whatever it takes. Together, they'd make a place to sleep into a home.

A/N: How was that, guys? Hope you enjoyed this fic. Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcome!


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